Forced draft refrigerator



June 13, 1939. w. H. swANsoN FORCED DRAFT R REFRIGERATOR 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 6, 1937 June 13, 1939. w. H. swANsc m 2,161,983

FORCED DRAFT REFRIGERATOR Filed Oct. 6, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 J1me 1939- w. H. SWANSON 2,161,983

' FORCED DRAFT REFRIGERATOR Filed Oct. 6, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented June 13, 1939 NI ED STAT S PATE OFFICE FORCED DRAFT REFRIGERATOR Wilburn H. Swanson, Morrison, Ill., assignor to Ice Cooling Appliance Corporation, Morrison,

Ill., a corporationof Delaware Application October 6, 1937,.Serial No. 167,486

11 Claims. (CI. 2-72) The present invention is related to refrigerators, and more particularly to those designed for domestic or household use where water ice or equivalent refrigerants are employed. The improvements, however, as herein delineated are susceptible to incorporation in refrigerators generally.

The invention has primary reference to refrigerators wherein forced draft is employed for effecting circulation of the air therein. An exemplification of such is found in Letters Patent of the United States No. 1,957,772 granted to Thomas B. Gilliam under date of May 8, 1934. The construction shown and described in that patent includes the usual type of cabinet but locates the food chamber in the upper portion thereof while the ice or cooling chamber is disposed therebeneath. The forced circulation of the air is eifected by a. motor-driven fan positioned at the upper portion of a flue that extends vertically of the cabinet, its upper end communicating with the food chamber and its lower end discharging at the bottom of the ice or cooling chamber at a point beneath a grid that supports the ice. This grid embodies a series of ducts or passages through which the relatively-warm air is caused to pass as the same is discharged from the lower end of the flue in order to produce a pre-chilling of the relatively-warm airbefore it enters the ice chamber Where it is further cooled in its circulation over and about the ice.

It is the general object of the present invention to provide a refrigerator of the character referred to, the construction of which is such as to effect improved circulation of the air between and throughout the ice and food chambers so as'to establish a more effectual distribution of the air, with a higher degree of uniformity in such distribution. This results in more economical consiunption of the ice and improved preservation of the contents of the refrigerator.

A further object of the invention is the provision of improved means for accomplishing the pre-chilling of the relatively-warm air as it passes into the ice chamber so that the pre-chilling will lower the temperature of the air to a greater degree and thereby further effect greater economy in the ice consumption incident to the operation of the refrigerator.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent as the nature of the improvements is better understood, the invention consisting substantially in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described,

the partition It in place within the cabinet.

illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and finally pointed out in the appended claims. The form of the inventionherein delineated is regarded as a practical and desirable embodiment thereoflbut it is to beunderstood that the same is susceptible to change, modification and variation as to the structural features and their relative arrangement. The present disclosure, therefore, is to be considered from the illustrative standpoint and not as imposing limitation or restriction upon the invention. 7 In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a vertical transverse sectional view of a refrigerator constructed in accordancewith the present invention, as on the line ll, Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a similar View, as on the line 2-2, Fig. l; and

Figs. 3 and 4 are sectional plan views, respectively, as on the lines 3-3 and 44, Fig. 1.

Referring now in detail to the accompanying 20 drawings, the numeral l0 designates generally the cabinet of the herein described refrigerator. Its construction may be that of the conventional cabinet of the present day type, including a top l I, a bottom I2, and side walls l3. It includes also an upper food chamber i4 and a lower ice or cooling chamber I5. The food chamber [4 and the ice chamber 15 are closed by appropriate doors l5 and ll, respectively. Generally speaking, the cabinet embodies likewise the usual metallic encasing shell for the insulation of the walls, top and bottom. and the customary me! tallic lining. The invention, therefore, is not limited to any specific construction of cabinet.

For separating the food chamber [4 and the 35 ice chamber 15 a horizontally disposed partition I8 is located intermediate these chambers, which partition has an upstanding flange l9 at its side and rear edges. This flange is connected to the side and rear walls of the lining by seaming or 40 other appropriate joint, as at 20. This supports the partition 18in sustained relation with respect to the lining. At the front edge of the partition 18 an angular attaching flange 2| is provided, and this flange is suitably connected to a supporting cross bar 22 which extends crosswise of the cabinet, the flange 2| providing for thesupport of the front edge of the partition I8 and supplementing the flange l9 and the joint 20 to hold At approximately the mid portion of the partition is an elongated slot 23 is formed which is provided with a down-turned flange 24 that surrounds the edges of, this slot. The slot 23 extends crosswise of the partition lflinthe general 20 r 7 through a bearing head 29, so that said head is direction of from the front to the back of the cabinet [0, and is of suificient length and width to establish proper communication between the ice chamber I5 and the food chamber I4 to afford the requisite circulation of the air from the ice chamber 15 to the food chamber l4.

To effect forced circulation of the air within the cabinet In a pair of vertical extending fiues 25 is employed. These fines are generally of triangular contour or configuration, and one is po-v sitioned in each of the rear corners of the interior of the cabinet. By such positioning of the lines 25 it will be apparent that a higher degree and more uniform distribution of the air within the cabinet is effected when the relation of these fiues with respect to the air-circulating means is considered. These include a fan or blower 26, preferably of the squirrel-cage type, which is carried by a shaft 21 connected to the armature of an electric motor 28. The shaft 2'! extends interposed between the fan or blower 26 and the motor 28 to separate the same. By reason of this the motorv 28 occupies a position at the exterior of the food chamber I4and does not affect theai'r of the chamber to increase the temperature thereof arising by'operation of the motor. The bearing head 29 and the motor 28 are disi posed within a. supporting shell 30 having a flanged head 3| which fits within a rabbeted recess 32 formed in the upper portion of the rear wallof thec'abinet. 'The supporting shell 36 is detachably held within therabbeted recess 32 so Y I as to be'reinoved therefromand introduced therein if it be desired to withdraw the motor and the fan from the cabinet, as in case of repairs or re-' placement. 'The shell 30, the bearing head 29, the motor 28 and the fan 26 thus constitute a unit which is complete in itself.

For the protection of the motor 28 a cover 3| encloses the same, and this cover is detachably connected to the supporting shell 30 soas Located in the upper end of the food chamber I 4, and in communication with the upper ends of the flues 25, is an air-distributing chamber 36 which extends over the entire top of the food chamber [4, and said chamber 36 also has communication with the discharge 35 so that the air from the .fan or blower 26 passes through said discharge'35 and into the distributing chamber 36. At a point immediately above the discharge opening 35 is positioned a V-shaped divider 31, which operates to separate the air blown from the fan and to deflect the body of air laterally inopposite directions, thereby directing theair thus'discharged to the upper ends of the flues 25.

The casing 33, in turn, lies within a receiving housing 38 that depends from the air-distribut- -ing' chamber 36 and is connected to the rear wall of the cabinet. The housing 38 has a plurality of louver openings 39 by which communication is established between the food chamber l4 and the interior of the housing 38, the openings 39 serving for passage ofthe air as the same is drawn 'from the chamber [4 into the casing 33 under the action of the fan 26. It will be observed that the guards of the louver"openings 39 extend upwardly sothat the travel of the air into the easing 38 is over these guards and downwardly into the casing 38. Due to the casing 38 the air is not j drawn directly from the food chamber I4 to the fan 26, but the flow is retarded, thus equalizing the distribution of the air within the chamber l4 and increasing the refrigerating effect thereof on the contents of that chamber.

It will be understood that the chamber I4 is provided with such removable shelves as may be necessary for supporting therein the articles to be refrigerated, and any shelving with the conventional supports thereof may be employed in this relation.

Within the chamber I4 is disposed a milk compartment 40, which is in the form of an elongated boxing, the forward end of which may. be closed by a hinged door 4| to permit access to. the interior of the boxing. The bottom of the latter, designated 42, may be of foraminous material soas to permit the rising currents of cold air to enter the compartment 40 andcontactthe bottles of milkwhich may be placed therein. The side walls of the compartment 40 are also provided with a plurality of discharge openings 43 which are arranged appropriately adjacent the upper and lower edges of the side walls. This provides for circulation of the cold air so that after it enters the compartment 46 through the foraminous bottom 42 it may escape through the side walls and enter the cooling chamber l4 so as to refrigerate the contents thereof.

The compartment 46 is placed directly above rising currents of cold air which pass through the slot 23' directly to the foraminous bottom 42 for admission therethrough into the compartthe invention is the provision of improved means for accomplishing the ore-chilling of the relatively-warm air as it passes into the ice chamber. To

the accomplishment of this end a pre-chilling the slot 23 or the partition [8. This'directs the unit 44 is located in the bottom of the ice chamber l5 through which the relatively-warm air passes after the same discharges from the lower ends of the fiues 25. The unit 44 includes a lower water pan 45 of rectangular configuration in plan View, to which water pan a trap 46 is connected, said trap 46, in turn, being connected to a drain pipe 41 through which the water of meltagewill pass to the exterior of the cabinet. The trap 46 is so located in the water pan 45 as to maintain the ice water of meltage to the depth of about onehalf inch. Thus, a substantial body of ice water remains always in the bottom pan 45 in order to serve as a pre-chilling agent to the relativelywarm air which emerges from the fiues 25.

The lower pan 45'has an imperforate top- '48,

48 water of meltage resulting from the melting of the ice in the chamber l5. By reason of this construction the top 48 of the lower pan 45 is of a relatively low temperature and serves to lower the temperature of the relatively-warm air as the same enters the pan 45 from the flues 25. Due

to the action of the trap 46 and the maintained ,level of the water of meltage in the pan 45, a

relatively large spaceexistsbetween the surface of that water and the top 48. Hence, as the air passes through the pan it is subjected to the low temperature of the ice water in the pan and the low'temperature'of the top '48 induced by the water of meltage which stands on the top 48.

To supportthe ice on the unit-44 a grid 5+ is included'in' this 'unit. The grid 5| comprises a plurality of fins 52 each' of which is in the form of a flat strip the upper edge of which is turned downwardly to provide a flanged head 53 that is inclined to the body of the strip. This formation of the fins 52 imparts to the same relatively large cooling surfaces. As illustratedin Fig. 2 the ends of thefins 52 are received by flanged supporting members 54', the flanges of which embrace the upper and lower edges of the fins 52, the fins being suitably attached to the supporting members 54, and thereby held in spaced relation with respect to each other. The grid 5| is removably seated on the top 48 of the water pan 45 so as to be displaceable with respect to that pan. The ice, designated by the numeral 55', rests directly upon the fins 52 and the heads 53 thereof, so that "the cooling effect of the ice is transmitted directly to the fins 52. The spacing apart of the fins affords passages thereb'etween through which the currents of air will rise as the currents pass through the slot 49. In this passage the bottom face of the ice will cause the air to be deflected laterally, and thereby the air currents will be brought into contact with the surfaces of the fins 52 and their flanged heads 53. Thus, the air, which has been prechilled in its passage through the lower water pan 45, will have its temperature further reduced. The air currents rise through the spaces between the fins 52, contacting the ice supported by the fins, and the maximum low temperature thus is imparted to the air currents.

As the slot 23 of the partition l8 constitutes the only communication between the ice chamber 15 and the food chamber l4, the flow of the air is retarded and the same held within the ice chamber l5 so as to effect the maximum heat exchange, and. as the air thus cooled passes from the ice chamber I5 to the food chamber [4 it will be obvious that it presents to the contents of the food chamber M the maximum low temperature.

In the operation of the herein described refrigerator it will be understood that the motordriven fan 26 will be controlled in its operation by suitable mechanism, whether manually operated or operated by the thermostatic conditions prevailing in the food chamber l4. Any suitable controlling mechanism of this sort may be employed. Obviously,thermostatic controlled mechanism is preferable because responsive to the high and low limits of temperature which should characterize the normal conditions of the air within the chamber I4. Assuming that the ice chamber I5 is provided with the required ice or other refrigerant, and that the motor-driven fan 26 is in operation, the air within the food chamber 14 will be drawn through the louver openings 39 into the casings 38 and 33, and discharged by the fan 26 into the air distribution chamber 36. In the discharge of the air the divider 31 will separate the currents thereof so as to deflect these currents laterally in opposite directions. Inasmuch as the fan 26 creates a suction, the air within the ice chamber I5 is drawn upwardly through the opening 23 in the partition l8, and this suction'extends further so as to draw the relatively-warm air from the lower ends of the flues 25 into the pre-chilling unit 44. With ice water in the lower pan 45 and on the top 48 of that pan, which top constitutes an upper water pan, the incoming currents of relatively-warm air pass over and into contact with the water in the pan 45 and likewise the chilled top 48, with a resultant initial lowering of the temperature of the air by such contact. As the air is drawn upwardly through the slot 49 the same is distributed through the passages between the cooling fins 52, being further chilled by that contact, and then rises around the ice 55 so as to attain the maximum heat exchange. In the passage of the air through the slot 23 into the milk-cooling compartment 40 the contents of the latter are refrigerated, and as the air is discharged from the compartment 40 it enters the food chamber H to maintain the temperature of that chamber for preserving the contents thereof.

As above indicated, uniformity of temperature may be maintained in the food chamber l4 by utilizing thermostatic means for controlling the operation of the fan 26. By the employment of such means the operation of the fan will cease when the minimum low temperature has been attained, and when the maximum high temperature is reached the fan 26 will be caused to operate so as to change the temperature conditions within the chamber 14.

By locating the flues 25 in the rear corners of the cabinet, and dividing the air currents issuing from the fan casing so as to deflect the same oppositely in lateral directions, it will be apparent that the air is more efiectually distributed with a higher degree of uniformity in such distribution, so that as the relatively-warm air enters the prechilling unit 44 from opposite ends of the same, the pre-chilling of the relatively-warm air likewise will be effected with a higher degree of uniformity. This results in more economical consumption of the ice, a more uniform meltage of the ice, and improved preservation of the contents of the refrigerator.

Moreover,'by utilizing the construction which is embodied in the pre-chilling unit, the passage of the relatively-warm air between the ice water that is trapped in the lower ice pan 45 and the chilled top 48 of that pan, the pre-chilling action lowers the temperature of the air to a relatively high degree. In the further passage of the air through the spaces between the fins 52, and incontact with the the relatively large surfaces afforded by the fins, there is a very decided further lowering in the temperature of the air before the same contacts with the ice supported by the grid. Obviously, therefore, in the contact of the air with the ice in this relatively low degree of temperature of the air, there is less consumption of the ice as the air is lowered to the maximum 3? degree.

As the present invention is not concerned with the specific details of structure of the cabinet 10, no disclosure has been made of the sealing means for effecting tight joints'between thetures remain to be supplied by thebuilders of ii the cabinet or cabinets in which the present invention is incorporated.

I claim:

1. In a refrigerator of the class described, the

combination with a cabinet having a food 'chamchamber to conduct air from the food'chamberi 'ls i cation with the upper ends of said fines for effood a chamber fecting distributionof the air to the flues, and means for causing circulation of the air from the chamber to said flues.

2.;In a refrigerator of the class described, the combination with a cabinet having a food chamber and an ice chamber in communication with each other, of a plurality of vertical flues arranged in'said cabinet in separated relation and in communication with the ice chamber and the food chamber to conduct air from the food chamber, to the ice chamber, an air-distributing chamber arranged over the food chamber and in communication with the upper ends of said fiues for effecting distribution of the air to the lines, a

,pre-chilling unit associated with the ice chamber and with which the lower ends of said flues communicate, and means for causing circulation of the air from the food chamberthrough said air-distributing chamber to said flues.

3. In a'reirigerator of the class described, the combination with a cabinet having a food chamber and/an ice chamber in communication with each other, of a plurality of vertical flues ar-.

ranged in said cabinet in separated relation and in communication'with the ice chamber and the food chamber to conduct air from thefood cham- 1 ber to the ice chamber, an air-distributing chamber arranged over the food chamber andin communication with the upper ends of said fiues for effecting distribution of the air to the fiues, means included in said distribution meansfor dividing the air and deflecting the same to'the respective flues, and means for causing circulation of the air from the food chamber through said air-distributing chamber to said'fluesj. 1 a

4. In a refrigerator of the class described, the

combination with a cabinet having a food chamber and an ice chamber in communication with each other, of a plurality of vertical fiues arranged in said cabinet in separated relation and in communication with the ice chamber and food chamber to conduct air from the food chamber to the ice chamber, an air-distributing chamber arranged over the food chamber and in communication with the upper ends of said flues for effecting distribution of the air to the flues, means included in said distribution means for dividing the air and deflecting the same to the respective flues, a pre chilling unit associated with the ice chamber and with which said flues communicate, and means for causing circulation of the air from the food chamber through said air distributing chamber tosaid flues.

5. In a refrigerator of the class described, the

combination with a cabinet having a food chamber and an ice chamber incommunicationwith each other, of a plurality of flues arranged in opposite corners of said cabinet and in communication with the ice chamber and the food chamber to conduct air from the food chamber to the ice chamber, means in communication with the food chamber and said flues and intermediate the same for effecting distribution of the air to the fines, and means for causing circulation of the air from the food'charnber 'to said flues;

6. In a refrigerator of the classdescribed, the combination with a cabinet having a food, chamber and an ice chamber in communication with each other, of a plurality of fines arranged in opposite corners of said'cabinet and in communication with the ice chamber and the food chamthrough said air-distributing each other, of a plurality of vertical flues arranged in opposite corners of said cabinet and in communication with the ice chamber and the food chamber to conduct air from the food chamber to the ice chamber, an air-distributing chamber arranged over the food chamber and in com a munication with the upper ends of said flues for effecting distribution of air to the flues, means included in said distribution means for dividing the air and deflecting the same in opposite streams to the respective flues, a pre-chilling unit associated with the ice chamber and with which said flues communicate, and means for causing circulation of the air from the food chamber through said air distributing chamber to said flues.

8. In a refrigerator of the class described, the combination with a cabinet having a food chamber and an ice chamber in communication with each other, of a plurality of flues arranged in opposite corners of said cabinet and in communication with the ice chamber and the food chamber to conduct air from the food chamber to the ice chamber, means for causing circulation of the air from the food chamber to said flues, and a pre-chilling unit associated with the ice chamber and with which said flues communicate, said culation of the air from the ice chamber to the food chamber.

9. In a refrigerator of the class described, the combination with a cabinet having a food chamber and an ice chamber in communication with each other, of a plurality of fines arranged in opposite corners of said'cabinet and in communication with the ice chamber and the food chamber to conduct air from the food chamber to the ice chamber, means for causing circulation of the air from the food chamber to said flues, and a pre-chilling unit associated with'the ice chamber and with which said flues communicate, said pro-chilling unit comprising a pan forreceiving said pan for supporting the ice in the ice chamber, the air from said flues being adapted to pass through said pan to be subjected to the water thereof, whereby to initially cool the air drawn from said flues, and means for causing circulation of the air from the ice chamber to the-food chamber. V

10. In a refrigerator of the class described, the combination with a cabinet having a food cham-' ber and an ice chamber in communication with each other, of a plurality of flues arranged in opposite corners of said cabinet and in communication with the ice chamber and the food chamber to conduct air from the food chamber to the ice chamber, means for causing circulation of the air from the food chamber to said flues, and a pre-chilling unit associated with the ice chamber and with which said flues communicate, said prechilling unit comprising a pan for receiving the water of ice meltage, and a grid disposed above said pan for supporting the ice in the ice chamher, said grid including a plurality of separated fins forming passages therebetween for circulation of air therethrough, the air from said flues being adapted to pass through said pan to be subjected to the water thereof and through said passages between said fins to be subjected to the cooling temperature of said fins, whereby to initially cool the air drawn from said fiues, and means for causing circulation of the air from the ice chamber to the food chamber.

11. In a refrigerator of the class described, the combination with a cabinet having a food chamber and an ice chamber in communication with each other, of a plurality of flues arranged in opposite corners of said cabinet and in communication with the ice chamber and the food chamber to conduct air from the food chamber to the ice chamber, means for causing circulation of the air from the food chamber to said flues, and a pre-chilling unit associated with the ice chamber and with which said fiues communicate, said prechilling unit comprising a pan for receiving the water of ice meltage, the top of said pan serving also as a pan for receiving the water of ice meltage, and a grid disposed above said top and supported thereby for supporting the ice in the ice chamber, said grid including a plurality of separated fins forming passages therebetween for circulation of air therethrough, the air from said flues being adapted to pass through said pan to be subjected to the water thereof and the reduced temperature of the top of the pan and also through the passages between said fins to be subjected to the cooling temperature of said fins, whereby to initially cool the air drawn from said fiues, and means for causing circulation of the air from the ice chamber to the food chamber. WILBURN H. SWANSON. 

